


Kidnapped

by RobinsonsWereHere



Category: Psych (TV 2006)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Emotions, Family Feels, Gen, Kidnapped, Kidnapping, Whump, Whumptober
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-03
Updated: 2020-10-03
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:08:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26784166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RobinsonsWereHere/pseuds/RobinsonsWereHere
Summary: Carlton Lassiter's week is going normally until he returns from his lunch break to find a ransom note saying that his three daughters have been kidnapped. He won't let anything stop him from saving them.
Relationships: Carlton Lassiter & Juliet O'Hara, Carlton Lassiter & Lily Nora Lassiter, Carlton Lassiter & Original Child Character(s), Carlton Lassiter/Marlowe Viccellio, Juliet O'Hara/Shawn Spencer, Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 13
Kudos: 12
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Kidnapped

**Author's Note:**

> This was supposed to be a drabble on tumblr and it,,,,, grew. Hence the 9:30pm posting.

Carlton Lassiter keeps several photographs on his desk. His officers know not to mention or ask about them-- in general, he keeps his private life private-- but they’re there. Two are of him and Juliet, one from 2009, and the most recent from 2022, though that’s been nearly eight years now. He has a wedding photo of him and Marlowe that he often finds himself staring at when the paperwork has numbed his mind too much to focus any longer. There’s a family photo, him and Marlowe and all three girls, though Laurel is only a baby in it. She’d started first grade this year, as her school photo, sitting between each of her sisters’, proves. He can’t believe it.

The photo that’s missing on Friday when he returns from his lunch break is one of all three girls at the beach, taken just three months ago. It’s been replaced by one more recent, from the timestamp-- that very morning, just after his daughters should’ve gotten to school.

He stares at it for a long moment, unable to comprehend what he’s seeing. It’s a shot of Lily, Rose, and Laurel, from the shoulders up. They appear unharmed, the one saving grace. But each one has a strip of duct tape over her mouth, and they’re crammed together somewhere dark, the only illumination coming from the camera flash.

It’s enough to see the wild terror in their eyes.

Carlton picks up the frame, his jaw growing tighter. For a moment, he stands stone-still. Then, he whirls around, throws open the door to his office, and begins to yell.

“Knight! Stone! We have a _major_ security breach here, and I want someone to damn well explain it! Get me forensics, ASAP! And call the elementary and the middle schools, get me attendance from today’s first period!”

“Chief! I am going to politely ask that you tell me what the hell is going on.” Brannigan appears in front of him with a sharp smile, her seven-foot shadow at her heels as always. 

Carlton growls and stalks away, ignoring their confusion. “I need to call my wife.”

But Brannigan isn’t his head detective for nothing, and she follows him, clearly putting the pieces together. “Wait. You said to call the school-- has something happened to one of the girls?”

He shoves the photograph at her. “Try all three. Get that to forensics.”

She hands it off to a waiting uniform as they reach the office. Carlton tries to situate himself behind the desk, to present the professional picture that’s expected of him, but finds himself too anxious, too restless to stay still. McNab is the first one to speak.

“Would you like me to put together an investigative team, Chief?”

Carlton scoffs. “McNab, someone got into this department and my _locked_ office to plant a ransom note after kidnapping my daughters. At this point I trust this department as far as I could throw it.” He opens and closes his left fist almost subconsciously.

Brannigan’s brows knit. “Do you think someone in the department is involved?”

“I won’t go that far,” he growls, “but I’ll be assembling my own team.” He picks up the phone, “McNab. Go harass forensics until you have a total report of everything they can find from the photo and note. Brannigan, put a call in to San Francisco.”

When he’s finally alone, he calls Marlowe.

\---

Marlowe is in a quiet session with a kid she hasn’t been able to connect with yet, despite a month of biweekly meetings. The sixteen-year-old boy has been in foster care for seven years, and in three different juvenile detention centers across California. If he messes up again, there’s a chance he could be tried as an adult. She cares about all of the kids she works with, but she’s really trying hard with this one. So she ignores the buzzing phone in her pocket.

By the time the session is over, she has eight missed calls from her husband. She doesn’t even have a chance to unlock her phone before he calls again.

_”Marlowe,_ Carlton says, tension consuming his voice. _”Thank god.”_

“Carlton?” A knot of worry begins to grow in her chest. “What’s the matter, sweetie? Are you okay?”

_”Marlowe…”_ she hears his inhale, even over the phone. _”Something happened. I don’t-- the girls, Marlowe. Someone-- the ransom note only had a gang sign, and even that might be a red herring, but someone has our girls.”_

Marlowe almost gasps, but there’s no air left in her lungs. She leans against the wall for support. “Wh-what? When?”

_”The timestamp only says around ten this morning. I just found the ransom, and I’m assuming it was planted during my lunch break.”_

“Planted? Planted where?”

Her husband heaves a heavy sigh. _”Somehow they got into my office. **My office.** ”_

Marlowe worries her bottom lip between her teeth.”Should I come there? Or do you want me to go home?”

_”I… here. Please. At least at first. It may not turn out to be the best move but I-- I need you.”_

“I’ll be right there, Carlton,” she promises. “I’ll see you in ten.”

_”I love you, Marlowe. And I promise, I’m going to save our girls.”_

“I know you are, darling. I love you, too.”

\---

Juliet is literally in the line to board her plane when Shawn and Gus come rushing into the gate. Shawn is carrying a hastily-packed backpack, and Gus, from what she can hear, is trying to talk him out of it.

“Shawn! You are not dumping three kids on my wife while you run off down the coast! Lassiter asked for Juliet _only!”_

Shawn opens his mouth to argue, but then spots Juliet. “Jules! You’re taking us with you, right?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “Shawn, Gus is right. Carlton’s bending the rules to let me into this, and it’s serious. Besides, you really can’t make Selene watch five kids alone on such short notice. Go home… please.”

He makes a face like a kicked puppy, but twelve years of marriage has made her almost immune. She stands on her toes to press a quick kiss against his lips. “I have to get on the plane, honey. Go home. Kiss the kids goodnight for me.”

Shawn pouts, making one last desperate bid. “But Jules, this is Lassie we’re talking about…”

“I’ll be with him the whole time,” she reminds him. “I’ve got his back. I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.”

Her husband sighs, still unwilling to let go of her hand. “I love you. Give my love to Lassie, too.”

“Of course,” Juliet agrees. “I love you, too.”

\---

Carlton stares at the files in front of him, checking and double checking the information. He has to get this right. He absolutely cannot fail now. He’s so deep in his web of gang hotspots and known traps that he doesn’t hear his office door open. He only looks up when he notices a presence in front of him.

O’Hara gives him a muted version of her usual smile. “Hey, partner. Got here as fast as I could.”

“You’re just in time,” he tells her. “Brannigan is regrouping with the patrols from our target area now. We have four hours until the ransom deadline, so they shouldn’t be expecting us. We’ll have the element of surprise.” He looks around, surprised that she’s alone. “No peanut gallery?”

“Our credit card can only handle one last-minute plane ticket,” she deflects. “How are you holding up, Carlton? How’s Marlowe?”

“I’m just focusing on the next step, and the one after that,” he replies. “Marlowe… she probably needs me more than I’ve been able to pause and check in with her.” His face darkens into a scowl. “She deserves better.”

“Hey. No.” O’Hara reaches out, rubbing her hand over his left shoulder. “Marlowe understands, Carlton. You’re rescuing her children. She would never want to take you away from that. I know it and you know it, too.”

He sighs and nods. “I… I have to get them back, Juliet. I need my little girls to be safe.”

She comes around his desk and wraps him in a tight hug. “I know, Carlton. We’ll find them, and soon. Don’t worry.”

No sooner has he released himself from the hug than the door opens, Branningain in its frame and McNab looming over her. “Chief? We’re ready when you are.”

A growl vibrates from his chest. “Then let’s go find my daughters.”

\---

Carlton tries to block out the sound of gunfire and shouting from behind him as he squeezes through the tiny opening in the back corner of the old bar. He’d left O’Hara, Brannigan, and McNab behind with a few uniforms, and they’re currently fending off the few gang members that had been present when they arrived. He doesn’t have long before they call for backup. He needs to hurry.

The sound of muffled, whimpering cries causes his heart to leap into his throat. He moves carefully in that direction, trying not to drop his flashlight. “Lily?” he calls out. “Rosie? Laurel?”

The cries get louder in response, and he picks up the pace. But some unevenness in the floor sends him flying, and he lands sprawled in the dirt, his gun and flashlight knocked from his grasp. He groans to himself. _Nice one, Lassiter._

To his surprise, the beam of light is lifted from where it had fallen, and then pointed in his face. A scared voice trembles through the air. “Daddy?”

He pushes himself up, though his left arm isn’t very cooperative. “I’m right here, Rosie, I”m right here. Are you with your sisters?”

“Yeah,” she says, a little steadier. “Lily has the light. She could only get the tape off me and Laurel, though.”

“It hurt,” come’s Laurel’s quiet voice.

“I’m so sorry, baby,” he says, reaching out to find his girls. “I’m gonna get you all safe. You’re gonna be okay.”

It takes some fumbling with flashlights and ropes, but he manages to free all three girls, bringing them protectively into his arms. “It’s okay. You’re gonna be okay. I’ve got you.”

There’s a tearing sound as he removes the duct tape from Lily’s mouth. She lets out a sob and throws her arms around him. “Daddy!”

Carlton’s heart twists. She hasn’t called him that since elementary school. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.”

When he hears footsteps he stiffens instinctively, but it turns out to be Juliet and Brannigan. “How can we help?” O’Hara asks.

Carlton doesn’t want to let go of any of his kids, but he can’t carry more than one, he knows. “Juliet, can you take Laurel? And Lily, will you go with Detective Brannigan?”

Lily clings to him. “Where are you going?”

“Nowhere, baby, I promise,” he says. “But I can’t carry you all. I’ll carry Rosie, and Detective Brannigan will walk with you.”

His oldest reluctantly lets go, and Carlton shifts Rose to his left side-- she’s holding tight enough that his limited range of motion doesn’t matter. “What’s the story out there?”

“We should be clear,” Juliet says. “Ambulances are waiting. Marlowe’s going to meet us at the hospital.”

Carlton dreads seeing his daughters’ injuries in the light of day, but they certainly can’t stay in here. He straightens up. “Then what are we waiting for?”

\---

Hours later, standing in front of three hospital beds with soundly sleeping occupants, holding his wife in his arms, Carlton cries. He squeezes her tight and leans his forehead against hers as sobs tear from them both. “I love you,” he chokes out.

“I love you too,” she manages. “You did it, Carlton. You saved them. They’re okay.”

“Thank god,” he says hoarsely, hot tears still running down his face. Thank god.”

Marlowe clings to him even tighter. He kisses her hair.

They’d come so close to losing everything… but they hadn’t.

“It’s going to be okay,” he promises for the umpteenth time. But this time, he believes it. “It’s going to be okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I love comments and kudos, and you can find me on tumblr at bijulesspencerohara.


End file.
